"Reference in the locker room" - Roberto Martinez hails 'important' Cristiano Ronaldo following his brace in Portugal's 6-0 win over Luxembourg

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo for his contributions in the wake of Portugal's emphatic 6-0 demolition of Luxemburg during their Euro 2024 Group J qualification match.

Team captain Ronaldo once again grabbed the headlines thanks to his spectacular brace against Luxemburg, having previously scored a hat-trick against Liechtenstein.

Against Luxemburg, Ronaldo got on the scoresheet in the ninth and 31st minutes. Goals from Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, Otavio and Rafael Leao secured all three points for Portugal.

Reacting to Ronaldo's performance, Martinez hailed the 38-year-old's experience at international level and revealed that the veteran is a reference point in the Portugal dressing room. He said (via Record):

"He is very important, he has a unique experience at an international level. For us, he is important because he is a reference in the locker room and he is prepared to lead and be the captain of this selection"

Ronaldo now has 122 goals for Portugal and is the only male player to record 100+ competitive international goals in history.

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"It's just the beginning" - Roberto Martinez hails Portugal's emphatic win over Luxembourg, as Ronaldo scores a brace

Roberto Martinez was impressed with his team's 6-0 demolition of Luxembourg in their Group J Euro 2024 qualification game.

Martinez, who recently assumed the role of Portugal national team coach, is gradually leaving a stamp on his squad. He went on to state that despite the impressive victory, his team is just getting started.

The Spanish tactician said (via Record):

"I'm very satisfied. It's important to remember that the attitude of the players is the most important part. Today it was important to have intensity from the beginning, to play as a team."

He added:

"We did that, scoring six goals, having a penalty missed. goal to zero. Luxembourg always try to create danger at home. We had a great ability to maintain concentration. I'm very happy, but it's just the beginning. We have to work hard to improve."